You ’ re a busy street photographer . How did that begin ?
I was inspired by a street photographer I know . At the beginning , I was rather interested in birds , She was into people and stories . Once we photographed the city together . I saw her taking the picture of an old lady . I found it a bit odd , because I thought old people are not interesting . But she said “ I wonder about her story ... What does she do ... where does she live ... who does she love ?” It struck me . I realized that I could empathize with people I don ’ t know . And things around me took a different meaning as I started to read people ’ s stories . My photography was elevated to a new level after this experience . That ’ s why I owe her so much .
How is Turkey for street photography ? Are there laws or regulations ?
Street photography is about capturing people in unstaged environments , in moments which can ’ t be repeated . So , wherever there are people , there ’ s potential for street photography . You just need to be polite and learn about the life styles and worldviews of the people .
Istanbul is a vibrant city with huge paradoxes ; tragedy and joy , poverty and abundance living side by side . It is a perfect place for great street photography . On a sunny or snowy day , you can spot dozens of amateur photographers shooting people . Istanbulers are usually very permissive and indifferent to being photographed . I had an experience in rural Anatolia as well though , people can be much more scrutinizing there . You get stopped by some people , asking you why you take pictures , or why you don ’ t take other things like old mosques or sunset rather than people . But when I explained the reason and asked how they were doing , they smiled and offered me a glass of tea . This is why I love this country .
How often are you out shooting ? And what do you take on a typical day of shooting - camera and lens ?? I keep seeing pictures everywhere . So I take pictures quite often , sometimes in most unexpected places . Many of my pictures were taken while commuting . Once a month I take photo walks . I can take a dozen decent shots on a good day of photo walk . I don ’ t own expensive gear . I have a midrange mirrorless camera , and a standard 35mm lens . I like it because its unobtrusive , lightweight , and hassle free . I prefer to use the camera rather than the phone because of its speed .
Who inspires your photography ?
When I think about my library , I see many books about architecture , modern art , classic paintings , cinema , mathematics . I have followed fashion and photography magazines . They probably influenced me . I was also influenced by the dozens of great photographers I met on Instagram . But also , as I just mentioned , by my beloved city , its bosphorus , its people and its birds .
Finally where can your readers go to see more of your work ?
I have an Instagram page with the nickname : @ ayhanton . I ’ m always happy when people visit my page and even leave some comments .
79